SET UP AND PREPARE
1. Begin by teaching students that in many cultures, musical instruments are made from everyday objects. Share select clips from Stomp, the unique musical that features improvisational music and percussion using objects like buckets, cans, and spoons. (Search “Stomp” at youtube.com.)

2. In order to make the tissue box guitars, you’ll need to collect one large tissue box (the long kind), one empty paper towel tube, and five to ten rubber bands for each student. Encourage them to bring materials in from home.

DIRECTIONS

1. To assemble the tissue box guitar, students will first lay the tissue box short-side up, place the empty paper towel tube in the center of the short side, and trace around the circle.

2. Next, have students cut a hole where they have traced, and insert the tube into a hole they’ve cut. Glue the tube in place and let dry.

3. Then, instruct students to decorate the tissue box and paper towel roll tube by gluing colored paper on the surface. They can add embellishments with Elmer’s 3D Washable Paint Pens, Glitter Glue, and can glue on other scrap material like pom-poms, buttons, and stickers, using Elmer’s Glue-All.

4. To finish, have students stretch five to ten rubber bands lengthwise around the tissue box and over the tissue box hole.

5. Students can play the guitars by strumming the rubber bands (tip: using rubber bands with varied lengths makes for different sounds).

3. Then, instruct students to decorate the tissue box and paper towel roll tube by gluing colored paper on the surface. They can add embellishments with Elmer’s 3D Washable Paint Pens, Glitter Glue, and can glue on other scrap material like pom-poms, buttons, and stickers, using Elmer’s Glue-All.

4. To finish, have students stretch five to ten rubber bands lengthwise around the tissue box and over the tissue box hole.

5. Students can play the guitars by strumming the rubber bands (tip: using rubber bands with varied lengths makes for different sounds).